Grate



Oct. 8, 1929. c. G. HOLMES 1,730,460

GHATE Filed April 20. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet am: mugs.

Oct. 8, 1929. c. G. HOLMES GRATE Filed April 20. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 S14/ventola Ch a TZeS GHoZmes 'Oct 8, 1929. c. G. HOLMES 1,730,460

GRATE I Filed April 20,' 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 4/ a Fig. 5.

,4 Y Fzy /ML fo V/ Charles Gl'lmes.

Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE GRATE Application led April 20, 1925.

This invention relates to grates as employed in warm air furnaces, boilers and like heating plants for dwellings or other buildings, and its object is to provide a grate which is highly eiiicient in clearing the contents of inactive material.

A further object of the invention is to coordinate the Operation of the grate and its dump section, whereby these may be simultaneously operated by the use of but one lever.

A still further object of the invention is to so design the grate that it may be entirely cleared of the deposits or residue usually remaining in the center of the grate after the l5 firepot has become emptly.

Another object of the invention is to make the same of few and simple parts, whereby the installation of the grate will be an easy matter, and removal will not entail difficulty through parts burned tight by the heat.

YvVith the above objects in view, as well as others that may be suggested by the description and claims to follow, the invention consists of a novel arrangement and combination of parts, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the novel grate as installed in the base of a furnace or boiler;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the application of an operating lever;

Fig. 3 is a frontal view of the installation as disclosed by partly breaking away the front wall of the furnace or boiler, as well as the frontal position of the grate;

Fig. 4; is a vertical section .of the grate, disclosing a longitudinal view ofthe dump section' Fig. 5 is a detail section, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail section, taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 12 y denotes the frontal portion of a typica fur- Serial No. 24,572.

nace or boiler at site of the grate and ashpit, and the latter is shown with a 4bottom 13, top 14, side walls 15 and rear wall 16. .Since the invention is not directly concerned with other parts of the furnace or boiler, such parts are not shown.

r1`he novel grate comprises principally a circular structure 17 of openwork, dished to direct its contents toward the center, which is cut out in oval form, as shown at 18. As grates of this form are usually operated or swung horizontally to shake their contents, the present grate is formed with three equally-distributed marginal flanges 19, which are adapted to ride on as many rollers 20, one of these being at the rear under the grate and the other two on opposite sides toward the front. The stub shafts 2Ob of these rollers are supported by brackets 56 on the ashpit walls, and the manner in which they are mounted being immaterial to the present invention.

The mechanism designed to impart the swinging motion to the grate in either direction originates with a hand lever 21, shown in Fig. 2. This lever is formed with a socket 21a to fit a tenon 22 forming the upper end of a vertical arm 23. A common, transverse bore 24 for the attachment of the hand lever to the arm by a crosspin is provided in case a permanent connection is desired between the parts involved. However, these parts may be operatively connected without any fastening device and the hand lever is preferably made separate from the arm for facility in shipping and to enable the lever to be put away or hung where not readily accessible to a child or other person in a mood to tamper with the grate.

The lower end of the arm 23 is pivoted to a 85 link 25 at 26, the opposite end of this link being'connected by' a loose bolt 27 to an ear 28 projecting from the front wall 12 of the furnace. rihe upper part of the arm is mortised at 29 to receive a tenon forming the outer end 90 of a horizontally positioned bar 30. A loose bolt connection 3l is inade at the intersection of the bar with the arm 23. The bar eX tends through an opening in the front wall 12 toward the rear of the ashpit, and it will be seen that when the hand lever 2l is moved back and forth, a siinilar motion will be assuined by the bar 30.

The movement of the bar 30 is alongside the grate 17, and the grate is operated by the bar through the following connection: The inner end of the bar is n'iade in hook forni, as shown at 32, to engage a lug 33 formed in a receptacle 34 integral with and depending frein one side of the grate. The receptacle is interiorly divided to perniit the insertion and lowering of the bar portion to engage the lug, and the walls of the opening recede toward the ends thereof as shown at 35, to allow for the arcuate travel of the grate `as against the straight course of the bar.

ln order that the bar 30 may be locked to maintain the grate in normal position under ordinary conditions, it is cut with a slot 36 where it issues freni the front wall l2 of the furnace to receive an iinpeding cani 37 'frein above. The cani is an extension of a plate 38 mounted on a bolt 39 on the wall 1Q, th la@ ter also `having limiting lugs 40 in relier for a handle 4l of the plate 33 whereby the cani 37 is swung from the locking posit-ion in which shown to a position free of the bar, and viceversa.. This 'locking device, when ap plied, notonly makes it readily evident that the grate is normally positionedwa factor whose importance will appear 1rater 'out also that such norinal position will not be changed should. the bar 30 or its associate eleinents receive a jolt, shock or blow froin soine person or object in the vicinity of the furnace.

The dump section and its relation to the grate arrangement will now be taken up. As is apparent frein Figs. l and 4, the dump section 42 occupies the grate opening 18 and has the forni of an Indian club laid on its side,

lbut with its upper part reduced to flat forni.

This reduction enables the dunip section to nieet and forni the bottoni of the dished formation of the grate, whereby the grate contents will have a tendency to close toward the center thereof; The durnp section isnecessarily of heavy construction to withst and heat and weight, and is cast throughout its body portion with a series of large, circular tins 42, whereby it will have a inaiiiinuin cooling eliiciency consistent with its strength. The trunnion section 43 meeting one end of the duinp section is 1elatively long as compared with the section 43a proj ect-ing fro-in the other end. The grate is formed with sunlren receptacles 44- to receive the trunnion sections 43 and 43, the dump section body having lugs 45 at its ends on the under side which are spaced to coeoperate with the receptacles 44 in dump section. rlhe receptacles 44 also forni guides when the dump section is rotated in one or the other direction. ln such event, it will be evident that the reduced or flat design the duinp section on its upper side enables sicli side to be considerably spaced from the contiguous side of the grate opening 18 when the duinp section is swung through a quarterturii or thereacouts by a turn of itsspindle in one or t1 e other direction. rlhe opening created thus serves as an exit when the grate coi are to be dumped or clinlrers renioved.

n order that the object of e'li'iciently shakor clearing the grate inay be fullled, it able that the dump section be agitated simultaneously with the grate, this being acci nplished through the following arrangement: Under the frontal portion of the ashpit top i4 is secured-by ineans soon to be inade apparent-a lining plate 46 extending in transverse direction, as is clearly denoted by dotted lines in Fig. l. The medial portion of this plate forined on the under side with an arcrate gear rack 47, suitable to receive a bevel pinion 48 frorn beneath. This pinion is inounted on a frontal angular reduction 43b of the trunnion section 43, being backed by a pair of lugs 43C projecting frein the latter, and retained by a cot-ter pin 43d passed through the reduction 43". It will now be seen that the turning of the grate in one or `the other direction will rock or twist the .rp section accordingly. lvVith the durnp se con calculated to turn only about 90 deg. `ies in either direction, it will be seen that the bevel pinion need not be entire in circun'iference; a segmental design-as shown in Fig. 0i-will serve the purpose, i aving material and giving greater clearance below.

A unique arrangement is provided for the retention of the duinp section in its proper working position without the use of bolts or other extra parts subject to burning or corrosion fro-ni the intense heat in the lirepot. To in `tall the duinp section in conformity with the retaining arrangement, it is lowered upon the grateininus the pinion 43-toward the right. according to Figs. l, 2 and 4 so as to advance the trunnion section 43 through 'the froi'ital receptacle 44 as far as possible,

the body of the duinp section being, however, inverted. This rnoveinent will position the duinp section slight-ly further to the right than shown, whereby the end of the trunnion section 43EL will clear a cross-element 49 atthe rear of the grate opening 13 as dropped into the corresponding receptacle 44. rlhe duinp section inay now be backed to position the end of the trunnion section 43 under the crosscleinent 49, this movement placing the dump section lugs 45 in a position where they will nieve next inside the respective receptacles 44 as the dump section is allowed to turn back to the normal position shown. It will now be seen-especially in Fig. 4-that the dump section is not only locked by the lugs from endwise motion, but cannot rise out of place at the rear because of the overlying cross-element 49. Tith the pinion 48 fitted and in mesh with the overlying gear rack 47, it will be obvious that the frontend of the dump section is also retained in place against any vibration or other shock incident to its operation, all without the use of any bolt or other extra part liable to damage, looseness or loss.

The lining plate 46 is also secured without the use of bolts. As viewed from the front, the right-hand end of the plate is secured as more clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5. Thus, the corner inside the top 14 and righthand side wall 15 of the ashpit is cast with a lug of inverted-T form7 whereby it has lateral base sections and a medial section 5()a rising therefrom. The end of the plate 46 is medially slotted to give it a forked shape, as denoted by the sections 46a. The plate positioned next under the top 14 is now advanced to seat its fork sections 46 upon the base sections 5() of the wall lug, such sections receiving between them the medial lug section 50a. The plate is thus locked from mot-ion in any direction except that from which applied; and the possibility of the latter motion is precluded by the fastening of the plate at its left-hand end. As suggested in Figs. 1 and 2, this end of the plate is also out with a slot 46b to clear a lug 51 depending from the ashpit top- 14 as it is swung up to the latter opposite the left-hand side wall 15. A cotter pin 52 is now passed through the lug 51 underneath the plate 46 to support the same in set position.

To prevent the hooked end of the grateoperating bar 30 from rising out of engagement with the grate-lug 33, a device associated with the lining-plate 46 and shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 6 is employed. rlhis device comprises principally a lug 53 made near one end with a pair of outwardly directed round studs 4. The plate is adapted to be hung by these studs in two ears 55 projecting from the left-hand end-when consider-0d from the front-of the plate 46. rlhe lug is hung in the ears before the plate 46 is set in place; and after this is done, it will be seen that the ashpit top 14 retains the lug` from dislocation. As shown in Fig. 2, the lug hangs transversely of the bar 30 and terminates in close proximity to the upper edge of the latter, thus serving to obstruct the rise of the bar during its operation or from vibration or shock. If the bar is, however, to be removed for any reason the lug may be swung aside in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6, the upper edge of the lug being for this reason rounded, as shown at 53a.

The novel grate, aside from its obvious simplicity, embodies a number of features First, when the hand lever is operated, the

entire grate is agitated, affecting the contents along the whole surface of the grate. Second, a full, clear opening can be created on either side of the dump section by using the original shaking lever. Third, both the grate and the dump section are operated by one lever, eliminating an extra task or a change by the operator from his upright position. Fourth, the dump section when placed in position automatically locks itself, making it impossible for clinkers or other foreign matter to displace it while the grate is operated. Fifth, when t-he dump section pinion has been secured in its place, the dump section and the grate become locked against possible displacement during shipment. Sixth, the dump section opening for removal of clinkers can always be located on the side opposite from that in which the grate is swung. And seventh, bolts and nuts are done away with at all points subject to heat, other simple expedients being employed to make the assembling or taking down of the grate an easy task.

l claim:

1. A furnace formed with a support, a grate with an internal opening seating on the support, a dump section having journals and being rockably hung in the grate and across said opening, means for reciprocating the grate in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, and a gearing between the support and the dump section whereby the movement of the grate will induce the rocking of the dump section, said gearing comprising a pinion on one of said trunnions and a rack segment on said support and engaging said pinion.'

2. A grate of dished formation and having an opening in its bottom, receptacles at opposite ends of the opening, an invertible dump section hung in the opening by trunnions seating in said receptacles, lugs depending from the trunnions adjacent to the receptacles to lock the dump section from endwise motion when in normal position, and abutments over the trunnions to lock the same from rising out of their seats when the dump section is in normal position, the dump section being capable when inverted of backing to clear one of its trunnions from its corresponding abut-ment, whereby to permit the dump section to be lifted out of the grate.

3. A grate structure comprising a housing, a grate supported therein and having an opening within its periphery with oppositely located receptacles, means for reciprocating the grate in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, a rockable dump section hung in the grate across the opening and having end trunnions seating in said receptacles, a gear carried by oneof the trunnions, lugs depending from the trnnnions adj scent to the receptacles to lock the dump section from endWise motion, zi gear rack Carried by the housing and receiving said gear in mesh from below whereby to lock the corresponding end of Jthe dump section from rising out of its receptacle, and an abutement carried by Jche grate over the trunnion at the opposite end of the dump section to lock such end from rising out of its receptacle.

In testimony whereof I yaf'x iny signature.

CHARLES G. HOLMES. 

